This invention is related to an electromagnetic device for electric power purposes, comprising a magnetic field generating electric circuit including at least one electric conductor having an insulation system. This electromagnetic device may be used in any electrotechnical connection. The power range may be from VA up to the 1000-MVA range. High voltage applications are primarily intended, up to the highest transmission voltages used today.
According to a first aspect of the invention a rotating electric machine is contemplated. Such electric machines comprise synchronous machines which are mainly used as generators for connection to distribution and transmission networks, commonly referred to below as power networks. The synchronous machines are also used as motors and for phase compensation and voltage control, in that case as mechanically idling machines. The technical field also comprises double-fed machines, asynchronous converter cascades, external pole machines, synchronous flux machines and asynchronous machines.
According to another aspect of the invention, said electromagnetic device is formed by a power transformer or reactor. For all transmission and distribution of electric energy, transformers are used and their task is to allow exchange of electric energy between two or more electric systems and for this, electromagnetic induction is utilized in a well-known manner. The transformers primarily intended with the present invention belong to the so-called power transformers with a rated power of from a few hundred kVA up to more than 1000 MVA with a rated voltage of from 3-4 kV and up to very high transmission voltages, 400 kV to 800 kV or higher.
Although the following description of the prior art with respect to the second aspect mainly refers to power transformers, the present invention is also applicable to reactors, which, as is well-known, may be designed as single-phase and three-phase reactors. As regards insulation and cooling there are, in principle, the same embodiments as for transformers. Thus, air-insulated and oil-insulated, self-cooled, pressure-oil cooled, etc., reactors are available. Although reactors have one winding (per phase) and may be designed both with and without a magnetic core, the description of the background art is to a large extent relevant also to reactors.
The magnetic field inducing electric circuit may in some embodiments be air-wound but comprises as a rule a magnetic core of laminated, normal or oriented, sheet or other, for example amorphous or powder-based, material, or any other action for the purpose of allowing an alternating flux, and a winding. The circuit often comprises some kind of cooling system etc. In the case of a rotating electric machine, the winding may be disposed in the stator or the rotor of the machine, or in both.
The invention also comprises a method for electric field control in an electromagnetic device and a method for production of a magnetic circuit.
In order to be able to explain and describe the invention, the prior art will be discussed hereinafter both in respect of a rotating electric machine and a power transformer.
Rotating Electric Machine
Such a rotating electric machine will be exemplified based upon a synchronous machine. The first part of the description substantially relates to the magnetic circuit of such a machine and how it is composed according to classic technique. Since the magnetic circuit referred to in most cases is disposed in the stator, the magnetic circuit below will normally be described as a stator with a laminated core, the winding of which will be referred to as a stator winding, and the slots in the laminated core for the winding will be referred to as stator slots or simply slots.
Most synchronous machines have a field winding in the rotor, where the main flux is generated by direct current, and an ac winding in the stator. The synchronous machines are normally of three-phase design. Sometimes, the synchronous machines are designed with salient poles. The latter have an ac winding in the rotor.
The stator body for large synchronous machines are often made of sheet steel with a welded construction. The laminated core is normally, made from varnished 0.35 or 0.5 mm electric sheet. For larger machines, the sheet is punched into segments which are attached to the stator body by means of wedges/dovetails. The laminated core is retained by pressure fingers and pressure plates.
For cooling of the windings of the synchronous machine, three different cooling systems are available.
In case of air cooling, both the stator winding and the rotor winding are cooled by cooling air flowing through. The cooling air channels are to be found both in the stator laminations and in the rotor. For radial ventilation and cooling by means of air, the sheet iron core at least for medium-sized and large machines is divided into stacks with radial and axial ventilation ducts disposed in the core. The cooling air may consist of ambient air but at high power a closed cooling system with heat exchangers is substantially used. Hydrogen cooling is used in turbogenerators and in large synchronous compensators. The cooling method functions in the same way as in air cooling with heat exchangers, but instead of air as coolant there is used hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas has better cooling capacity than air, but difficulties arise at seals and in monitoring leakage. For turbogenerators in the higher power range it is known to apply water cooling of both the stator winding and the rotor winding. The cooling channels are in the form of tubes which are placed inside conductors in the stator winding. One problem with large machines is that the cooling tends to become non-uniform and that, therefore, temperature differences arise across the machine.
The stator winding is disposed in slots in the sheet iron core, the slots normally having a cross section as that of a rectangle or a trapezoid. Each winding phase comprises a number of series-connected coil groups and each coil group comprises a number of series-connected coils. The different parts of the coil are designated coil side for that part which is placed in the stator and coil end for that part which is disposed outside the stator. A coil comprises one or more conductors brought together in height and/or width. Between each conductor there is a thin insulation, for example epoxy/glass fibre.
The coil is insulated against the slot with a coil insulation, that is, an insulation intended to withstand the rated voltage of the machine to ground. As insulating material, various plastic, varnish and glass fibre materials may be used. Usually, so-called mica tape is used, which is a mixture of mica and hard plastic, especially produced to provide resistance to partial discharges, which can rapidly break down the insulation. The insulation is applied to the coil by winding the mica tape around the coil in several layers. The insulation is impregnated, and then the coil side is painted with a coal-based paint to improve the contact with the surrounding stator which is connected to ground potential.
The conductor area of the windings is determined by the current intensity in question and by the cooling method used. The conductor and the coil are usually formed with a rectangular shape to maximize the amount of conductor material in the slot. A typical coil is formed of so-called Roebel bars, in which certain of the bars may be made hollow for a coolant. A Roebel bar comprises a plurality of rectangular, parallel-connected copper conductors, which are transposed 360 degrees along the slot. Ringland bars with transpositions of 540 degrees and other transpositions also occur. The transposition is made to avoid the occurrence of circulating currents which are generated in a cross section of the conductor material, as viewed from the magnetic field.
For mechanical and electrical reasons, a machine cannot be made in just any size. The machine power is determined substantially by three factors:
The conductor area of the windings. At normal operating temperature, copper, for example, has a maximum value of 3-3.5 A/mm2.
The maximum flux density (magnetic flux) in the stator and rotor material.
The maximum electric field strength in the insulating material, the so-called dielectric strength.
Polyphase ac windings are designed either as single-layer or two-layer windings. In the case of single-layer windings, there is only one coil side per slot, and in the case of two-layer windings there are two coil sides per slot. Two-layer windings are usually designed as diamond windings, whereas the single-layer windings which are relevant in this connection may be designed as a diamond winding or as a concentric winding. In the case of a diamond winding, only one coil span (or possibly two coil spans) occurs, whereas flat windings are designed as concentric windings, that is, with a greatly varying coil width. By coil width is meant the distance in circular measure between two coil sides belonging to the same coil, either in relation to the relevant pole pitch or in the number of intermediate slot pitches. Usually, different variants of chording are used, for example fractional pitch, to give the winding the desired properties. The type of winding substantially describes how the coils in the slots, that is, the coil sides, are connected together outside the stator, that is, at the coil ends.
Outside the stacked sheets of the stator, the coil is not provided with a painted semiconducting ground-potential layer. The coil end is normally provided with an E-field control in the form of so-called corona protection varnish intended to convert a radial field into an axial field, which means that the insulation on the coil ends occurs at a high potential relative to ground. This sometimes gives rise to corona in the coil-end region, which may be destructive. The so-called field-controlling points at the coil ends entail problems for a rotating electric machine.
Normally, all large machines are designed with a two-layer winding and equally large coils. Each coil is placed with one side in one of the layers and the other side in the other layer. This means that all the coils cross each other in the coil end. If more than two layers are used, these crossings render the winding work difficult and deteriorate the coil end.
It is generally known that the connection of a synchronous machine/generator to a power network must be made via a xcex94/Y-connected so-called step-up transformer, since the voltage of the power network normally lies at a higher level than the voltage of the rotating electric machine. Together with the synchronous machine, this transformer thus constitutes integrated parts of a plant. The transformer constitutes an extra cost and also entails the disadvantage that the total efficiency of the system is lowered. If it were possible to manufacture machines for considerably higher voltages, the step-up transformer could thus be omitted.
During the last few decades, there have been increasing requirements for rotating electric machines for higher voltages than what has previously been possible to design. The maximum voltage level which, according to the state of the art, has been possible to achieve for synchronous machines with a good yield in the coil production is around 25-30 kV.
Certain attempts to a new approach as regards the design of synchronous machines are described, inter alia, in an article entitled xe2x80x9cWater-and-oil-cooled Turbogenerator TVM-300xe2x80x9d in J. Elektrotechnika, No. 1, 1970, pp. 6-8, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,244 xe2x80x9cStator of Generatorxe2x80x9d and in Russian patent document CCCP Patent 955369.
The water- and oil-cooled synchronous machine described in J. Elektrotechnika is intended for voltages up to 20 kV. The article describes a new insulation system consisting of oil/paper insulation, which makes it possible to immerse the stator completely in oil. The oil can then be used as a coolant while at the same time using it as insulation. To prevent oil in the stator from leaking out towards the rotor, a dielectric oil-separating ring is provided at the internal surface of the core. The stator winding is made from conductors with an oval hollow shape provided with oil and paper insulation. The coil sides with their insulation are secured to the slots made with rectangular cross section by means of wedges. As coolant oil is used both in the hollow conductors and in holes in the stator walls. Such cooling systems, however, entail a large number of connections of both oil and electricity at the coil ends. The thick insulation also entails an increased radius of curvature of the conductors, which in turn results in an increased size of the winding overhang.
The above-mentioned U.S. patent relates to the stator part of a synchronous machine which comprises a magnetic core of laminated sheet with trapezoidal slots for the stator winding. The slots are tapered since the need of insulation of the stator winding is smaller towards the interior of the rotor where that part of the winding which is located nearest the neutral point is disposed. In addition, the stator part comprises a dielectric oil-separating cylinder nearest the inner surface of the core. This part may increase the magnetization requirement relative to a machine without this ring. The stator winding is made of oil-immersed cables with the same diameter for each coil layer. The layers are separated from each other by means of spacers in the slots and secured by wedges. What is special for the winding is that it comprises two so-called half-windings connected in series. One of the two half-windings is disposed, centred, inside an insulating sleeve. The conductors of the stator winding are cooled by surrounding oil. Disadvantages with such a large quantity of oil in the system are the risk of leakage and the considerable amount of cleaning work which may result from a fault condition. Those parts of the insulating sleeve which are located outside the slots have a cylindrical part and a conical termination reinforced with current-carrying layers, the duty of which is to control the electric field strength in the region where the cable enters the end winding.
From CCCP 955369 it is clear, in another attempt to raise the rated voltage of the synchronous machine, that the oil-cooled stator winding comprises a conventional high-voltage cable with the same dimension for all the layers. The cable is placed in stator slots formed as circular, radially disposed openings corresponding to the cross-section area of the cable and the necessary space for fixing and for coolant. The different radially disposed layers of the winding are surrounded by and fixed in insulating tubes. Insulating spacers fix the tubes in the stator slot. Because of the oil cooling, an internal dielectric ring is also needed here for sealing the oil coolant against the internal air gap. The design also exhibits a very narrow radial waist between the different stator slots, which means a large slot leakage flux which significantly influences the magnetization requirement of the machine.
A report from Electric Power Research Institute, EPRI, EL-3391, from 1984 describes a review of machine concepts for achieving a higher voltage of a rotating electric machine for the purpose of being able to connect a machine to a power network without an intermediate transformer. Such a solution is judged by the investigation to provide good efficiency gains and great economic advantages. The main reason that it was considered possible in 1984 to start developing generators for direct connection to power networks was that at that time a superconducting rotor had been produced. The large magnetization capacity of the superconducting field makes it possible to use an air gap winding with a sufficient thickness to withstand the electrical stresses. By combining the most promising concept, according to the project, of designing a magnetic circuit with a winding, a so-called monolith cylinder armature, a concept where the winding comprises two cylinders of conductors concentrically enclosed in three cylindrical insulating casings and the whole structure is fixed to an iron core without teeth, it was judged that a rotating electric machine for high voltage could be directly connected to a power network. The solution meant that the main insulation had to be made sufficiently thick to cope with network-to-network and network-to-ground potentials. The insulation system which, after a review of all the technique known at the time, was judged to be necessary to manage an increase to a higher voltage was that which is normally used for power transformers and which consists of dielectric-fluid-impregnated cellulose pressboard. Obvious disadvantages with the proposed solution are that, in addition to requiring a superconducting rotor, it requires a very thick insulation which increases the size of the machine. The coil ends must be insulated and cooled with oil or freons to control the large electric fields in the ends. The whole machine must be hermetically enclosed to prevent the liquid dielectric from absorbing moisture from the atmosphere.
When manufacturing rotating electric machines according to the state of the art, the winding is manufactured with conductors and insulation systems in several steps, whereby the winding must be preformed prior to mounting on the magnetic circuit. Impregnation for preparing the insulation system is performed after mounting of the winding on the magnetic circuit.
Power Transformer/Reactor
To be able to place a power transformer/reactor according to the invention in its proper context and hence be able to describe the new approach which the invention means as well as the advantages afforded by the invention in relation to the prior art, a relatively complete description of a power transformer as it is currently designed will first be given below as well as of the limitations and problems which exist when it comes to calculation, design, insulation, grounding, manufacture, use, testing, transport, etc., of these transformers.
From a purely general point of view, the primary task of a power transformer is to allow exchange of electric energy between two or more electrical systems of, normally, different voltages with the same frequency.
A conventional power transformer comprises a transformer core, in the following referred to as a core, often of laminated oriented sheet, usually of silicon iron. The core comprises a number of core limbs, connected by yokes which together form one or more core windows. Transformers with such a core are often referred to as core transformers. Around the core limbs there are a number of windings which are normally referred to as primary, secondary and control windings. As far as power transformers are concerned, these windings are practically always concentrically arranged and distributed along the length of the core limbs. The core transformer normally has circular coils as well as a tapering core limb section in order to fill up the coils as closely as possible.
Also other types of core designs are known, for example those which are included in so-called shell-type transformers. These are often designed with rectangular coils and a rectangular core limb section.
Conventional power transformers, in the lower part of the above-mentioned power range, are sometimes designed with air cooling to carry away the unavoidable inherent losses. For protection against contact, and possibly for reducing the external magnetic field of the transformer, it is then often provided with an outer casing provided with ventilating openings.
Most of the conventional power transformers, however, are oil-cooled. One of the reasons therefor is that the oil has the additional very important function as insulating medium. An oil-cooled and oil-insulated power transformer is therefore surrounded by an external tank on which, as will be clear from the description below, very high demands are placed. Normally, means for water-cooling of the coil are provided.
The following part of the description will for the most part refer to oil-filled power transformers.
The windings of the transformer are formed from one or several series-connected coils built up of a number of series-connected turns. In addition, the coils are provided with a special device to allow switching between the terminals of the coils. Such a device may be designed for changeover with the aid of screw joints or more often with the aid of a special changeover switch which is operable in the vicinity of the tank. In the event that changeover can take place for a transformer under voltage, the changeover switch is referred to as an on-load tap changer whereas otherwise it is referred to as a de-energized tap changer.
Regarding oil-cooled and oil-insulated power transformers in the upper power range, the breaking elements of the on-load tap changers are placed in special oil-filled containers with direct connection to the transformer tank. The breaking elements are operated purely mechanically via a motor-driven rotating shaft and are arranged so as to obtain a fast movement during the switching when the contact is open and a slower movement when the contact is to be closed. The on-load tap changers as such, however, are placed in the actual transformer tank. During the operation, arcing and sparking arise. This leads to degradation of the oil in the containers. To obtain less arcs and hence also less formation of soot and less wear on the contacts, the on-load tap changers are normally connected to the high-voltage side of the transformer. This is due to the fact that the currents which need to be broken and connected, respectively, are smaller on the high-voltage side than if the on-load tap changers were to be connected to the low-voltage side. Failure statistics of conventional oil-filled power transformers show that it is often the on-load tap changers which give rise to faults.
In the lower power range of oil-cooled and oil-insulated power transformers, both the on-load tap changers and their breaking elements are placed inside the tank. This means that the above-mentioned problems with degradation of the oil because of arcs during operation, etc., effect the whole oil system.
From the point of view of applied or induced voltage, it can broadly be said that a voltage which is stationary across a winding is distributed equally onto each turn of the winding, that is, the turn voltage is equal on all the turns.
From the point of view of electric potential, however, the situation is completely different. One end of a winding is normally connected to ground. This means, however, that the electric potential of each turn increases linearly from practically zero in the turn which is nearest the ground potential up to a potential in the turns which are at the other end of the winding which correspond to the applied voltage.
This potential distribution determines the composition of the insulation system since it is necessary to have sufficient insulation both between adjacent turns of the winding and between each turn and ground.
The turns in an individual coil are normally brought together into a geometrical coherent unit, physically delimited from the other coils. The distance between the coils is also determined by the dielectric stress which may be allowed to occur between the coils. This thus means that a certain given insulation distance is also required between the coils. According to the above, sufficient insulation distances are also required to the other electrically conducting objects which are within the electric field from the electric potential locally occurring in the coils.
It is thus clear from the above description that for the individual coils, the voltage difference internally between physically adjacent conductor elements is relatively low whereas the voltage difference externally in relation to other metal objectsxe2x80x94the other coils being includedxe2x80x94may be relatively high. The voltage difference is determined by the voltage induced by magnetic induction as well as by the capacitively distributed voltages which may arise from a connected external electrical system on the external connections of the transformer. The voltage types which may enter externally comprise, in addition to operating voltage, lightning overvoltages and switching overvoltages.
In the current leads of the coils, additional losses arise as a result of the magnetic leakage field around the conductor. To keep these losses as low as possible, especially for power transformers in the upper power range, the conductors are normally divided into a number of conductor elements, often referred to as strands, which are parallel-connected during operation. These strands must be transposed according to such a pattern that the induced voltage in each strand becomes as identical as possible and so that the difference in induced voltage between each pair of strands becomes as small as possible for internally circulating current components to be kept down at a reasonable level from the loss point of view.
When designing transformers according to the prior art, the general aim is to have as large a quantity of conductor material as possible within a given area limited by the so-called transformer window, generally described as having as high a fill factor as possible. The available space shall comprise, in addition to the conductor material, also the insulating material associated with the coils, partly internally between the coils and partly to other metallic components including the magnetic core.
The insulation system, partly within a coil/winding and partly between coils/windings and other metal parts, is normally designed as a solid cellulose- or varnish-based insulation nearest the individual conductor element, and outside of this as solid cellulose and liquid, possibly also gaseous, insulation. Windings with insulation and possible bracing parts in this way represent large volumes which will be subjected to high electric field strengths which arise in and around the active electromagnetic parts of the transformer. To be able to predetermine the dielectric stresses which arise and achieve a dimensioning with a minimum risk of breakdown, good knowledge of the properties of insulating materials is required. It is also important to achieve such a surrounding environment that it does not change or reduce the insulating properties.
The currently predominant insulation system for high-voltage power transformers comprises cellulose material as the solid insulation and transformer oil as the liquid insulation. The transformer oil is based on so-called mineral oil.
The transformer oil has a dual function since, in addition to the insulating function, it actively contributes to cooling of the core, the winding, etc., by removal of the loss heat of the transformer. Oil cooling requires an oil pump, an external cooling element, an expansion coupling, etc.
The electrical connection between the external connections of the transformer and the immediately connected coils/windings is referred to as a bushing aiming at a conductive connection through the tank which, in the case of oil-filled power transformers, surrounds the actual transformer. The bushing is often a separate component fixed to the tank and is designed to withstand the insulation requirements being made, both on the outside and the inside of the tank, while at the same time it should withstand the current loads occurring and the ensuing current forces. It should be pointed out that the same requirements for the insulation system as described above regarding the windings also apply to the necessary internal connections between the coils, between bushings and coils, different types of changeover switches and the bushings as such.
All the metallic components inside a power transformer are normally connected to a given ground potential with the exception of the current-carrying conductors. In this way, the risk of an unwanted, and difficult-to-control, potential increase as a result of capacitve voltage distribution between current leads at high potential and ground is avoided. Such an unwanted potential increase may give rise to partial discharges, so-called corona. Corona may be revealed during the normal acceptance tests, which partially occurs, compared with rated data, increased voltage and frequency. Corona may give rise to damage during operation.
The individual coils in a transformer must have such a mechanical dimensioning that they may withstand any stresses occurring as a consequence of currents arising and the resultant current forces during a short-circuit process. Normally, the coils are designed such that the forces arising are absorbed within each individual coil, which in turn may mean that the coil cannot be dimensioned optimally for its normal function during normal operation.
Within a narrow voltage and power range of oil-filled power transformers, the windings are designed as so-called sheet windings. This means that the individual conductors mentioned above are replaced by thin sheets. Sheet-wound power transformers are manufactured for voltages of up to 20-30 kV and powers of up to 20-30 MW.
The insulation system of power transformers within the upper power range requires, in addition to a relatively complicated design, also special manufacturing measures to utilize the properties of the insulation system in the best way. For a good insulation to be obtained, the insulation system shall have a low moisture content, the solid part of the insulation shall be well impregnated with the surrounding oil and the risk of remaining xe2x80x9cgasxe2x80x9d pockets in the solid part must be minimal. To ensure this, a special drying and impregnating process is carried out on a complete core with windings before it is lowered into a tank. After this drying and impregnating process, the transformer is lowered into the tank which is then sealed. Before filling of oil, the tank with the immersed transformer must be emptied of all air. This is done in connection with a special vacuum treatment. When this has been carried out, filling of oil takes place.
To be able to obtain the promised service life, etc., pumping out to almost absolute vacuum is required in connection with the vacuum treatment. This thus presupposes that the tank which surrounds the transformer is designed for full vacuum, which entails a considerable consumption of material and manufacturing time.
If electric discharges occur in an oil-filled power transformer, or if a local considerable increase of the temperature in any part of the transformer occurs, the oil is disintegrated and gaseous products are dissolved in the oil. The transformers are therefore normally provided with monitoring devices for detection of gas dissolved in the oil.
For weight reasons large power transformers are transported without oil. In-situ installation of the transformer at a customer requires, in turn, renewed vacuum treatment. In addition, this is a process which, furthermore, has to be repeated each time the tank is opened for some action or inspection.
It is obvious that these processes are very time-consuming and cost-demanding and constitute a considerable part of the total time for manufacture and repair while at the same time requiring access to extensive resources.
The insulating material in conventional power transformers constitutes a large part of the total volume of the transformer. For a power transformer in the upper power range, oil quantities in the order of magnitude of hundreds of cubic meters of transformer oil may occur. The oil which exhibits a certain similarity to diesel oil is thinly fluid and exhibits a relatively low flash point. It is thus obvious that oil together with the cellulose constitutes a non-negligible fire hazard in the case of unintentional heating, for example at an internal flashover and a resultant oil spillage.
It is also obvious that, especially in oil-filled power transformers, there is a very large transport problem. Such a power transformer in the upper power range may have a total weight of up to 1 000 tons. It is realized that the external design of the transformer must sometimes be adapted to the current transport profile, that is, for any passage of bridges, tunnels, etc.
Here follows a short summary of the prior art with respect to oil-filled power transformers and which may be described as limitation and problem areas therefor:
An oil-filled conventional power transformer
comprises an outer tank which is to house a transformer comprising a transformer core with coils, oil for insulation and cooling, mechanical bracing devices of various kinds, etc. Very large mechanical demands are placed on the tank, since, without oil but with a transformer, it shall be capable of being vacuum-treated to practically full vacuum. The tank requires very extensive manufacturing and testing processes and the large external dimensions of the tank also normally entail considerable transport problems;
normally comprises a so-called pressure-oil cooling. This cooling method requires the provision of an oil pump, an external cooling element, an expansion vessel and an expansion coupling, etc.;
comprises an electrical connection between the external connections of the transformer and the immediately connected coils/windings in the form of a bushing fixed to the tank. The bushing is designed to withstand any insulation requirements made, both regarding the outside and the inside of the tank;
comprises coils/windings whose conductors are divided into a number of conductor elements, strands, which have to be transposed in such a way that the voltage induced in each strand becomes as identical as possible and such that the difference in induced voltage between each pair of strands becomes as small as possible;
comprises an insulation system, partly within a coil/winding and partly between coils/windings and other metal parts which is designed as a solid cellulose- or varnish-based insulation nearest the individual conductor element and, outside of this, solid cellulose and a liquid, possibly also gaseous, insulation. In addition, it is extremely important that the insulation system exhibits a very low moisture content;
comprises as an integrated part an on-load tap changer, surrounded by oil and normally connected to the high-voltage winding of the transformer for voltage control;
comprises oil which may entail a non-negligible fire hazard in connection with internal partial discharges, so-called corona, sparking in on-load tap changers and other fault conditions;
comprises normally a monitoring device for monitoring gas dissolved in the oil, which occurs in case of electrical discharges therein or in case of local increases of the temperature;
comprises oil which, in the event of damage or accident, may result in oil spillage leading to extensive environmental damage.
The object of the present invention is primarily to provide an electromagnetic device, in which at least one or some of the disadvantages discussed hereinabove and impairing the prior art have been eliminated. Besides, the invention secondarily aims at devising a method for electric field control in an electromagnetic device for electric power purposes and a method for producing a magnetic circuit for a rotating electric machine.
The primary object is achieved by means of a device of the kind defined in the following claims, and then first of all in the characterizing part of any of claims 1-5.
In a wide sense, it is established that the design according to the invention reduces the occurring losses such that the device, accordingly, may operate with a higher efficiency as a consequence of the fact that the invention makes it possible to substantially enclose the electric field occurring due to said electric conductor in the insulation system. The reduction of losses results, in turn, in a lower temperature in the device, which reduces the need for cooling and allows possibly occurring cooling devices to be designed in a more simple way than without the invention.
The conductor/insulation system according to the invention may be realised as a flexible cable, which means substantial advantages with respect to production and mounting as compared to the prefabricated, rigid windings which have been conventional up to now. The insulation system used according to the invention results in abscence of gaseous and liquid insulation materials.
As to the aspect of the invention as a rotating electric machine it is thus possible to operate the machine with such a high voltage that the xcex94/Y-connected step-up transformer mentioned above can be omitted. That is, the machine can be operated with a considerably higher voltage than machines according to the state of the art to be able to perform direct connection to power networks. This means considerably lower investment costs for systems with a rotating electric machine and the total efficiency of the system can be increased. The invention eliminates the need for particular field control measures at certain areas of the winding, such field control measures having been necessary according to the prior art. A further advantage is that the invention makes it more simple to obtain under- and overmagnetization for the purpose of reducing reactive effects as a result of voltage and current being out of phase with each other.
As to the aspect of the invention as a power transformer/reactor, the invention, first of all, eliminates the need for oil filling of the power transformers and the problems and disadvantages associated thereto.
The design of the winding so that it comprises, along at least a part of its length, an insulation formed by a solid insulating material, inwardly of this insulation an inner layer and outwardly of the insulation an outer layer with these layers made of a semi conducting material makes it possible to enclose the electric field in the entire device within the winding. The term xe2x80x9csolid insulating materialxe2x80x9d used herein means that the winding is to lack liquid or gaseous insulation, for instance in the form of oil. Instead the insulation is intended to be formed by a polymeric material. Also the inner and outer layers are formed by a polymeric material, though a semiconducting such.
The inner layer and the solid insulation are rigidly connected to each other over substantially the entire interface. Also the outer layer and the solid insulation are rigidly connected to each other over substantially the entire interface therebetween. The inner layer operates equalizing with respect to potential and, accordingly, equalizing with respect to the electrical field outwardly of the inner layer as a consequence of the semiconducting properties thereof. The outer layer is also intended to be made of a semiconducting material and it has at least an electrical conductivity being higher than that of the insulation so as to cause the outer layer, by connection to earth or otherwise a relatively low potential, to function equalizing with regard to potential and to substantially enclose the electrical field resulting due to said electrical conductor inwardly of the outer layer. On the other hand, the outer layer should have a resistivity which is sufficient to minimize electrical losses in said outer layer.
The rigid interconnection between the insulating material and the inner and outer semiconducting layers should be uniform over substantially the entire interface such that no cavities, pores or similar occur. With the high voltage levels contemplated according to the invention, the electrical and thermal loads which may arise will impose extreme demands on the insulation material. It is known that so-called partial discharges, PD, generally constitute a serious problem for the insulating material in high-voltage installations. If cavities, pores or the like arise at an insulating layer, internal corona discharges may arise at high electric voltages, whereby the insulating material is gradually degraded and the result could be electric breakdown through the insulation. This may lead to serious breakdown of the electromagnetic device. Thus, the insulation should be homogenous.
The inner layer inwardly of the insulation should have an electrical conductivity which is lower than that of the electrical conductor but sufficient for the inner layer to function equalizing with regard to potential and, accordingly, equalizing with respect to the electrical field externally of the inner layer. This in combination with the rigid interconnection of the inner layer and the electrical insulation over substantially the entire interface, i.e. the abscence of cavities etc, means a substantially uniform electrical field externally of the inner layer and a minimum of risk for PD.
It is preferred that the inner layer and the solid electrical insulation are formed by materials having substantially equal thermal coefficients of expansion. The same is preferred as far as the outer layer and the solid insulation is concerned. This means that the inner and outer layers and the solid electrical insulation will form an insulation system which on temperature changes expands and contracts uniformly as a monolithic part without those temperature changes giving rise to any destruction or disintegration in the interfaces. Thus, intimacy in the contact surface between the inner and outer layers and the solid insulation is ensured and conditions are created to maintain this intimacy during prolonged operation periods.
The electrical load on the insulation system decreases as a consequence of the fact that the inner and the outer layers of semiconducting material around the insulation will tend to form substantially equipotential surfaces and in this way the electrical field in the insulation properly will be distributed relatively uniformly over the thickness of the insulation.
It is known, per se, in connection with transmission cables for high-voltage and for transmission of electric energy, to design conductors with an insulation of a solid insulation material with inner and outer layers of semiconducting material. In transmission of electric energy, it has since long been realised that the insulation should be free from defects. However, in high voltage cables for transmission, the electric potential does not change along the length of the cable but the potential is basically at the same level. However, also in high voltage cables for transmission purposes, instantaneous potential differences may occur due to transient occurrencies, such as lightning. According to the present invention a flexible cable according to the enclosed claims is used as a winding in the electromagnetic device.
An additional improvement may be achieved by constructing the electric conductor in the winding from smaller, so-called strands, at least some of which are insulated from each other. By making these strands to have a relatively small cross section, preferably approximately circular, the magnetic field across the strands will exhibit a constant geometry in relation to the field and the occurrence of eddy currents are minimized.
According to the invention, the winding/windings is/are thus preferably made in the form of a cable comprising at least one conductor and the previously described insulation system, the inner layer of which extends about the strands of the conductor. Outside of this inner semiconducting layer is the main insulation of the cable in the form of a solid insulation material.
The outer semiconducting layer shall according to the invention exhibit such electrical properties that a potential equalization along the conductor is ensured. The outer layer may, however, not exhibit such conductivity properties that an induced current will flow along the surface, which could cause losses which in turn may create an unwanted thermal load. For the inner and outer layers the resistance statements (at 20xc2x0 C.) defined in the enclosed claims 8 and 9 are valid. With respect to the inner semiconducting layer, it must have a sufficient electrical conductivity to ensure potential equalization for the electrical field but at the same time this layer must have such a resistivity that the enclosing of the electric field is ensured. It is important that the inner layer equalizes irregularities in the surface of the conductor and forms an equipotential surface with a high surface finish at the interface with the solid insulation. The inner layer may be formed with a varying thickness but to ensure an even surface with respect to the conductor and the solid insulation, the thickness is suitably between 0.5 and 1 mm.
Such a flexible winding cable which is used according to the invention in the electromagnetic device thereof is an improvement of a XLPE (cross-linked poly ethylene) cable or a cable with EP (ethylene-propylene) rubber insulation or other rubber, for example silicone. The improvement comprises, inter alia, a new design both as regards the strands of the conductors and in that the cable, at least in some embodiments, has no outer casing for mechanical protection of the cable. However, it is possible according to the invention to arrange a conducting metal shield and an outer mantel externally of the outer semiconducting layer. The metal shield will then have the character of an outer mechanical and electrical protection, for instance to lightning. It is preferred that the inner semiconducting layer will lie on the potential of the electrical conductor. For this purpose at least one of the strands of the electrical conductor will be uninsulated and arranged so that a good electrical contact is obtained to the inner semiconducting layer. Alternatively, different strands may be alternatingly brought into electrical contact with the inner semiconducting layer.
Manufacturing transformer or reactor windings of a cable according to the above entails drastic differences as regards the electric field distribution between conventional power transformers/reactors and a power transformer/reactor according to the invention. The decisive advantage with a cable-formed winding according to the invention is that the electric field is enclosed in the winding and that there is thus no electric field outside the outer semiconducting layer. The electric field achieved by the current-carrying conductor occurs only in the solid main insulation. Both from the design point of view and the manufacturing point of view this means considerable advantages:
the windings of the transformer may be formed without having to consider any electric field distribution and the transposition of strands, mentioned under the background art, is omitted;
the core design of the transformer may be formed without having to consider any electric field distribution;
no oil is needed for electrical insulation of the winding, that is, the medium surrounding the winding may be air;
no special connections are required for electrical connection between the outer connections of the transformer and the immediately connected coils/windings, since the electrical connection, contrary to conventional plants, is integrated with the winding;
the manufacturing and testing technology which is needed for a power transformer according to the invention is considerably simpler than for a conventional power transformer/reactor since the impregnation, drying and vacuum treatments described under the description of the background art are not needed. This provides considerably shorter production times;
by using the technique according to the invention for insulation, considerable possibilities are provided for developing the magnetic part of the transformer, which was given according to the prior art.
In application of the invention as a rotating electric machine a substantially reduced thermal load on the stator is obtained. Temporary overloads of the machine will, thus, be less critical and it will be possible to drive the machine at overload for a longer period of time without running the risk of damage arising. This means considerable advantages for owners of power generating plants who are forced today, in case of operational disturbances, to rapidly switch to other equipment in order to ensure the delivery requirements laid down by law.
With a rotating electric machine according to the invention, the maintenance costs can be significantly reduced because transformers and circuit breakers do not have to be included in the system for connecting the machine to the power network.
Above it has already been described that the outer semiconducting layer of the winding cable is intended to be connected to ground potential. The purpose is that the layer should be kept substantially on ground potential along the entire length of the winding cable. It is possible to divide the outer semiconducting layer by cutting the same into a number of parts distributed along the length of the winding cable, each individual layer part being connectable directly to ground potential. In this way a better uniformity along the length of the winding cable is achieved.
Above it has been mentioned that the solid insulation and the inner and outer layers may be achieved by, for instance, extrusion. Other techniques are, however, also well possible, for instance formation of these inner and outer layers and the insulation respectively by means of spraying of the material in question onto the conductor/winding.
It is preferred that the winding cable is designed with a circular cross section. However, also other cross sections may be used in cases where it is desired to achieve a better packing density.
To build up a voltage in the rotating electric machine, the cable is disposed in several consecutive turns in slots in the magnetic core. The winding can be designed as a multilayer concentric cable winding to reduce the number of coil-end crossings. The cable may be made with tapered insulation to utilize the magnetic core in a better way, in which case the shape of the slots may be adapted to the tapered insulation of the winding.
A significant advantage with a rotating electric machine according to the invention is that the E field is near zero in the coil-end region outside the outer semiconductor and that with the outer casing at ground potential, the electric field need not be controlled. This means that no field concentrations can be obtained, neither within sheets, in coil-end regions or in the transition therebetween.
The present invention is also related to a method for electric field control in an electromagnetic device for electric power purposes.
The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a magnetic circuit, a flexible cable, which is threaded into openings in slots in a magnetic core of the rotating electrical machine being used as a winding. Since the cable is flexible, it can be bent and this permits a cable length to be disposed in several turns in a coil. The coil ends will then consist of bending zones in the cables. The cable may also be joined in such a way that its properties remain constant over the cable length. This method entails considerable simplifications compared with the state of the art. The so-called Roebel bars are not flexible but must be preformed into the desired shape. Impregnation of the coils is also an exceedingly complicated and expensive technique when manufacturing rotating electric machines today.
To sum up, thus, a rotating electric machine according to the invention means a considerable number of important advantages in relation to corresponding prior art machines. First of all, it can be connected directly to a power network at all types of high voltage. By high voltage are meant here voltages exceeding 10 kV and up to the voltage levels which occur for power networks. Another important advantage is that a chosen potential, for example ground potential, has been consistently conducted along the whole winding, which means that the coil-end region can be made compact and that bracing means at the coil-end region can be applied at practically ground potential or any other chosen potential. Still another important advantage is that oil-based insulation and cooling systems disappear also in rotating electric machines as already has been pointed out above with regard to power transformers/reactors. This means that no sealing problems may arise and that the dielectric ring previously mentioned is not needed. One advantage is also that all forced cooling can be made at ground potential.